How My Writing Has Changed

I think the biggest thing that has changed in my writting is learning to write in an academic discourse. I feel like I have properly learned to use quotes and articles to further what I am arguing. I think that my writing has improved and I am more easily able to discuss ideas throughout literature.

Class Discussion

Today in class we talked about the poem "The Goblin Market". It was an interesting poem but I, honestly, found the descriptions a little excessive. It didnt need to be so long but maybe the author had a reason. I found the poem interesting and understoond the symbolism throughout but the one thing I didnt understand was when the 2nd girl went back, what that represented. One of my classmates brought up that she went and got raped which makes sense but the poem mentions something about her going there curing the 1st girl. I dont really know how having your friend get raped would make you feel better about losing your virginity through trickery...

The Flea

I think the poem "the Flea" is about a couple having a baby out of wedlock. The baby is the flea, draining the both of them. The baby is the thing that connects them together. They love each other but they didnt think of being together but now their parents say they are gonna get married. What I cant decide is if the speaker is the girl or the boy in the relationship.

Poetry

We seemed to work with a lot of poetry in high school and I am pretty comfertable with it. I like reading poetry and I find it very interesting. My favorite poem is "If You Forget Me" by Pablo Neruda.

"good" "bad" Naming

One thing that really struck me is the theme of things/characters being good or bad. We have the "Good Angel", pretty understandable right? But then there is the "Evil Angel"? I thought angels where all suppose to be good. Then Methistophilis is called a bad devil but later someone calls  him a "good devil". Arent all devils suppose to be bad? I think that this is used to skew the lines of good and evil.

Blood

I think the thing that made me think the most was that when Faustus tried to sign his contract, his blood dried or coagulated. I think it was fate trying to say that he didnt want Faustus to sign the contract. It just struck me as a sign he ignored and it seemed so importent.

Why Are Moral Hierarchies Different Now Than in the Renaissance

I think that hierarchies change through time because morals evolve. Society is dynamic and changes all the time. Our morals evolve with us. For instance some people now would add other things like family or career. Survival skills are importent to some people. I guess it probably is all dependant on how you live and where you grow up.

The Semester So Far

I think the semester so far has gone really well. I feel like my writing could be a bit stronger, I wasnt proud to turn my last paper in but hopefully this next one goes a little better. I like the discussions we have over the short stories. It is intresting to hear what other people see in the story that maybe you dont. I also like the grammer lessons on Fridays. I like that a whole lot better than sentance level corrections. I wish when we were editing papers, like peer reveiw, that we each read and corrected little things too. Thanks for being so understanding about mid terms and such. Having flexible teachers makes everything easier.

The Last Question

I think point of veiw and setting in The Last Question are very importent. As the narrator switches from situation to situation the setting changes. The point of veiw is third person because the narrator isnt a part of the story. This is importent because the narrator can explain somethings about the world which the characters live and we also get to see a few of their inward emotions. The setting changes are also very interesting because they show the progression towards the end of the story and away from Earth and how we live. The changes in how the characters live is interesting and can be considered setting too. At the end of the story their bodies are just a place, not part of them.

Defining the Relationship

The thing that we learn from comparing The Birthmark and Bartleby the Scrivener is that perfection can never be achieved. Also we learn that depression has a serious effect on a person

An Unjust Judgement: A Response to a Racial Discussion From a Blonde, Blue-Eyed, White Skinned, Midwestern Girl

I understand that I have been raised with a different cultural education than many people who come from the area I was born and raised in. I was raised in a multicultural family, and in this family I learned a few different things. Regionalism: to judge people by which region of the world, or country they come from. Ethnocentrism: to judge others of a different culture with the values of your culture. I know I am not a minority, I know I live a comfertable life in a very "sheltered" place in a community that isn't very diverse.

There are also a few other things I know:

I know what its like to go to a place where I am the only white person that anyone has ever seen in person. I know what it is like to be made fun of for the color of my skin. I know what its like to be harassed for the color of my eyes. I know what its like to be touched inappropriately because of the color of my hair. I know what its like to feel rocks against my skin, thrown  hard enough to bring up bruises. I know what its like to be followed by those who only want to see me cry. I know what its like not to be allowed to go somewhere or do something because of the color of my skin. I know what its like to be afraid to walk down the street by myself. I know what is like to need an escort to go buy juice. I know what its like to have a family who hates me because of the color of my skin. I know what its like to be afraid of being beheaded to make a point. I know what its like to have a family member kidnapped for 2 years because of who we are. I know what is like to be afraid to go out after dark. I know what its like to wonder if my mother will come home in one piece. I know what its like to wonder if my pre school age sister will get stolen from me. I know what its like to wonder if its safe to let my teenage brother out of sight. I know what its like to lose sleep because I dont know if my family will make it to the end of the week safely.

However, before class on Wednesday I didnt know what it felt like to be judged by a well educated adult because of where I was raised. I didnt know what it was like to be told I was "sheltered" and that I didnt know what it was like to live in a "real town". I didnt know what it was like to be told that because of where I was from that I uncultured. I didnt know that I could be so...unjustly judged because of where I live.

Now I do.

Fake Twitter

I find it very entertaining that people are forming fake twitter and facebook accounts but I can understand how that would be very upsetting. I know that someone created a fake email account for a usd sports team and contacted some possible recruits offering them scholarships. These people called to accept or come for visits and were very disappointed. This is just one way that fake or phony accounts can hurt people. Im sure there are many other ways.

The "bug"

The thing that bothered me the most was how Gregor turned into a bug. My blog is gonna be about how he turned into a bug....3 Possible options:

1. Maybe when Gregor was traveling as a traveling salesman he ran across a witch and he didnt give her a deal on whatever he was selling so she cursed him. He turned into a bug because of that curse.

2.Maybe Gregor is like Spiderman. When he was at work he was bitten by a radioactive cockroach being experimented on and he therefore turned into a cockroach. Gregor has all the powers of a cockroach, he just is unlucky and looks like one too.

3. Maybe his dad, who was greedy man, bought a magic potion that would turn him into a cockroach and then they could turn him into a circus act and make more money. Then when Gregor is a cockroach he gets too scared to do anything

MLA

Im not sure these are the sources Im going to use but this is good for now:

Beehler, Michael. “Yevgeny Zamyatin: The Essential, the Superfluous and Textual Noise” SubStance. 15.50 (1986): 48-60 Web. 31 Jan. 2011

Dennis, Bretton J.; Rafeeq O. McGiveron. “Zamyatin’s WE” Lansing Community College.  (???): 211-213 web. 31 Jan 2011.

Zamyatin, Yevgeny WE. New York: The Modern Library, 2006

Paper Topic

I think I would like to write my paper about family, and the family concept in WE...or lack there of. I would like to talk about "grandma" and what she means to other people. I am going to draw connections to all the different characters. I think it will bring up a few interesting ideas as I dig deeper into the topic

WE

The end of WE really bothered me. I really wished that there would have been a happy ending. The ending really disapointed me, I wanted O-90 to escape into the forest with the forest people. I also wanted D-503 and I-330 to go off on the space ship and have a family in outer space. I understand why it didnt happen like that...but it still made me sad.

"what bothers you the most"

The thing that bothered me the most so far in the book is that the citizens of the One State dont get to have families. They dont get to live with the people they love, they get their children taken away. Family is very importent to me and the idea of not being able to see my mom...not even knowing her, that would kill me. Not knowing who your siblings are, or even if you have any. I dont think I would handle it well. The concept of not having a family to fall back on when times are hard bothers me.

Biographical Strategies

Biographical strategies talk about thinking about the authors life to better understand their works. In the case of WE it is definately an effective technique to learn more and understand more.

The main character D-503 lives in a very controlled life, controlled mainly by the government. Yevgeny Zamyatin lived in Russia when the governments where extremely controlling. Russia and the One State both tried to force people to basically become human machines and live as the government said. Zamyatin very easily could have modelled the main character after himself. Zamyatin had a background in science and D-503 is very mathmatical and scientific.

Literary Terms For "WE"

Style- The style of the book is very mathmatic and precise. I think this is to dehumanized the main character. Everything is explained using math or angles or a very clear cold voice. The preciseness of their lives is shown through the exactness of the language.

Tone- The tone of the book is cold, and calculating. This dehumanized the characters in the book.

Irony- A situation of irony in the book is when the main character says that he will turn in I-330 but puts it off saying hes sick, the reader knows he will never turn her in even though he says he will.

Characterzation- The main character, D-503, is characterized by being obedient, mathmatical, precise. All of this is clear in his language and actions in the first few records. None of his thoughts stray from what the One State believes.

Setting- The setting is a town after the 200 year war. They are in a very regimented society.

Point Of View- The points of veiw is third person narrative, from D-503's point of view.

Symbol- One symbol in this book is the "Cast-iron hand" of the  as D-503 describes it. The hand symbolizes the hand the government has in all the citizens lives.

Theme-We havent finished the book but I have a feeling the theme of the story will be something along the lines stand up for what you believe in or dont blindly believe others.

Shtuff About Me

Well hey everyone! I suppose I should introduce my self since this is my blog. My name is Cassie. I love to run, and I run for USD's Cross Country and Track teams. I have yet to race because I have been injured but I am on the road to recovery, knock on wood! I am a freshman Health Science major but I am hoping to change my major to Kinesiology in the fall. I hope to become a Physical Therapist when I grow up. Although being a Physical Therapist is my dream job, I work two jobs right now. I work at a department store and a gymnastics gym, both in my home town. I went to high school at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls. My family all lives in Sioux Falls, and we are all really close. During the break I stay with my mom; Vicki, my sister; Soraya and my step brother; Ricky. I love them all to death. I also have a boyfriend, his name is Josh and he goes to SDSU. My family and I love to horseback ride and we have 4 horses. Thanks for reading but its night night time, adios my friends!